Karachays

The Karachays (from Karachay-Balkar ‘mountaineers’) – are a Turkic people inhabiting North Caucasus. Their predominant religion is Islam. For the most part, the Karachays lived in communes. The appearance of the Karachays in the region remains a mystery to historians. One hypothesis is that the Karachays are descended from tatars, who intermixed with the local Iranic peoples. This theory is supported by their language: many words have a Turkic and Iranian origin. The first mention of the Karachays is documented in 1501. The main source of the Karachays’ livelihood was arable farming and animal husbandry. In the latter field, the Karachays were renown for their horses – the Karachay horse breed appeared in the 17th century. The Karachays were also proficient carpet-makers and stonemasons.